Paneer tikka

Paneer tikka is one of the most popular dishes made with cottage cheese/paneer and is famous all over the world. It is basically a vegetarian grill recipe where chunks of paneer and veggies are marinated with spices and hung curd and then roasted /grilled in Oven /stovetop to get that perfect char.

This is one of the famous appetizers usually served hot as a starter in restaurants and parties. For Indians, it is nothing less than emotion. We have great memories attached to this dish and we are always excited to eat this dish!!

The traditional way of making these is in a tandoor. But since we don't usually have them in our homes, the next best option is to bake or grill them on a stovetop. I love to grill them on the stovetop which I think is quicker and easier.

For this recipe, you will need hung curd which basically means you have to squeeze out the water content present in the curd by placing it in a muslin cloth and tying it on a high place with a bowl underneath to catch the water/whey. This takes min 2 hours and later you can squeeze out the remaining whey gently. So plan accordingly beforehand while doing this recipe. The hung curd is thick in nature and blends well with the spices without becoming watery.

This recipe calls for red, green, and yellow bell peppers. Cut them in cubes, the size of which has to be similar to paneer cubes. So they will be grilled evenly. A little bit of preparation and few ingredients is enough to make these super delicious Paneer tikkas!! So without wasting time... let's get started!

INGREDIENTS:

For the marination:

Hung Curd 1/2 cup

Besan / Chickpea flour 2 tbsp

Chat masala 1tsp

Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp

Carom seeds  1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder 1tsp

Coriander Powder 1tsp

Garam Masala 1/2 tsp

Warm oil 2 tbsp

Salt and sugar to taste

For the tikka:

Green bell pepper cut in cubes 1 small

Red bell pepper cut in cubes 1small

Yellow bell pepper cut in cubes 1 small

Onion cut in cubes 1 small

Paneer cut in cubes 200 gms

Oil/Butter for grilling

INSTRUCTION:

1. To make the marinade, whisk the hung curd and add all the other ingredients listed under the INGREDIENTS section above in a bowl and mix well. Keep aside.

2. Add all the cubed vegetables and Paneer cubes in the marinade and combine them very well such that they are coated with the marinade.

3. Cover the bowl with a lid and keep this mixture in the Refridgerator for half an hour.

4. After half an hour, take the marinated paneer and veggies out of the Refridgerator. Take a wooden /steel skewer and arrange paneer, onion, and peppers on a skewer, alternating with each other.

5. Now to grill, heat a Cast iron pan/Grill pan on medium flame, drizzle some oil/butter, and place all the arranged skewers on the Tava/grill pan and let it roast.

You have to keep rotating the skewer to the side which has not roasted. Keep an eye...sometimes it may take less time to roast.

6. Once all the sides of paneer and veggies look charred, transfer them to a plate, sprinkle some lemon juice (optional) and serve with Green Cilantro Mint chutney.

I hope you will love these Paneer tikkas and relish them with friends and family. Please let me know your feedback in the comments section below. Also would love to connect on Instagram @archanasvegfoodchronicles.